


In Bloom

by punknouis



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Rise of Kyoshi (Avatar), The Shadow of Kyoshi (Avatar)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Based on a Tumblr Post, Business Woman Rangi is also something that can be so personal????, Established Relationship, F/F, Femslash February, Fluff, Jealousy, POV Alternating, POV Rangi (Avatar), Rangi and Kirima friendship is something that can be so personal, Rangshi - Freeform, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, basically rangshi in general has me weak, truly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:35:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28881069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punknouis/pseuds/punknouis
Summary: Kyoshi furrows her eyebrows together. She finds the card sticking up amongst the colorful fruit. Sure enough, there is no name. Just one sentence."Toss them weak ass flowers"
Relationships: Kirima & Rangi (Avatar), Kyoshi/Rangi (Avatar)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 76
Collections: Winter ATLA Femslash Week 2021





	In Bloom

**Author's Note:**

> For Winter ATLA Femslash Week 2021 Day ?? Modern AU
> 
> okay SO i saw [https://traumatizedcatgirlgf.tumblr.com/post/638256072900198400/imagine-your-otp](%E2%80%9Cthis) this tweet and I just could not NOT use it for a fic idea? And I am committed to more Rangshi content, so here it is!! something quick and pure and silly

The cool morning breeze on her face wakes Kyoshi up more efficiently than the steaming coffee in her hand.

Rangi’s apartment is only a few more blocks away from her usual bus stop than her own apartment, just in the opposite direction. Still unfamiliar with this side of town, she lets herself take in the store names and varying window displays she passes by.

Most stores aren't open yet, save for a convenience store or two and a cafe with it's lights on and some employees wiping down tables.

Which is why when she hears a door open and a jingling bell to her right, she all but jumps three feet into the air. She whips her head around to see a man about her age wearing a green apron and carrying a large bucket.

“Oh sorry, didn’t mean to scare you!” He says in a cheerful voice. He smiles brightly at Kyoshi around the giant sunflowers he’s carrying.

“That’s alright,” she waves him away. She looks at his apron. In gold stitching it says _Jianzhu’s_ , and underneath the logo his name tag reads ‘Yun’ in large capital letters.

“Have a good day, Yun.” Kyoshi adds as she begins to leave.

“Wait!”  
Kyoshi stops and turns to face him. Yun drops the bucket down next to a row of buckets she hadn’t noticed before, some empty and some with various bouquets of colorful flowers she doesn’t know the name of. She waits as he goes rummaging through the buckets until he pulls out what he was looking for.

“For the lady.” He hands her a collection of bright orange flowers with long pointed petals.

Kyoshi blushes despite herself. “Oh no, I couldn’t,” she begins to protest, “I don’t have any cash on me.”

“Please,” He scoffs, “A beautiful woman like you should never have to pay for her own flowers.” He gives her a playful bow and turns back to his work, leaving Kyoshi to blush to herself and continue on her route.

She carries the bouquet like an infant all the way to the stop, a smile spread on her face. The small act of kindness is already making her feel better about the day ahead. She loves her job, but teaching at an all girls high school is not easy. Pockets of joy throughout each week make it easier.

She cradles the flowers in her arms carefully as she boards the bus and maneuvers her way to her usual seat in the back. She pulls her phone out of her purse and texts Rangi to let her know she made it on the bus okay.

They haven’t been seeing each other very long, only a few months, but Rangi has already expressed her concern with Kyoshi taking the bus by herself in the morning.

_(“If you won’t let me take you to work when you stay over -”_

_“_ _It would add 40 minutes to your commute, so no I will not let you.” Kyoshi interrupts with a sleepy smile pressed into the girl’s hair, blissed out after their first night together._

_“Anyways,” Rangi continues in feigned annoyance, “If you won’t let me take you, at least just text me when you get on and get off the bus. There’s some shady people out there.”_

_Kyoshi rolls her eyes. She’s been using public transportation alone since she was a child. She’s memorized just about every bus line’s schedules and stops. But she can’t help but glow at the genuine concern Rangi feels for her. She presses a kiss to the dark haired girl’s forehead in a silent agreement.)_

_**Kyoshi** : on the bus! got a sweet surprise this morning too _

Her phone doesn’t buzz until she is stepping off the bus 30 minutes later. When Kyoshi reaches her classroom, she first goes into the teacher’s lounge bathroom to find the lone vase they keep under the sink and puts the radiant flowers into some water. She pulls out her phone to check the message as she unpacks her computer and her lesson planner.

_**Rangi** : Oh? _

Kyoshi opens up the camera app on her phone to snap a quick photo of the fire lilies on her desk, and sends it to Rangi. Immediately her phone buzzes again.

_**Rangi:** Where did those come from? _

_**Rangi:** Also, I’m assuming you made it to work then. _

_**Kyoshi** : yes I made it _

_**Kyoshi** : a guy who works at that flower shop jianzhu’s gave them to me! _

_**Rangi** : He just...gave them to you? _

_**Kyoshi** : yeah _

_**Kyoshi** : he said “a beautiful woman like you should never have to pay for her own flowers” _

_**Kyoshi** : it was so nice _

Her phone doesn’t buzz again for the rest of her morning prep time, which is probably for the best. It lets her focus on getting her classroom ready for the day. Once her students begin to file into her room she is too busy to check her phone again for the rest of the morning.

-

Rangi doesn’t mean to drop her phone as loudly as she does. The clatter, along with her scoff, alerts a certain coworker of her distress. Right on time, a pair of blue eyes and raised eyebrows peer over the wall of Rangi’s cubicle.

“Rough morning, Topknot?”

“Go away Kirima,” Rangi huffs as she leans her head back onto her office chair.

There’s a shuffle and a pause and then Rangi can feel a presence at the entrance of her small office space. She spins her chair around to face the girl who had predictably ignored Rangi’s request. Kirima leans against the cubicle wall and crosses her arms over her chest.

“Come on, spill. What’s wrong?”

She would never admit it, especially not out loud, Rangi doesn’t mind Kirima. Ever since her firm absorbed a smaller firm on the brink of bankruptcy, Rangi has had a handful of new coworkers (including Kirima) and employees that she is still trying to figure out. They’re smart, but their methods of corporate strategy vary vastly to Rangi’s. Kirima gives Rangi shit, but they work well together, in sync with most plans despite their different approaches. She’s clever and an efficient worker, which Rangi cannot help but respect.

Not only that, but Kirima goes out of her way to make conversation with Rangi (even if that conversation usually includes jokes made at Rangi’s expense), which is more than she can say for the other people she works with. 

Rangi sighs and grabs her phone off the desk and opens it up to her and Kyoshi’s text conversation. She hands the phone over. Kirima fiddles with her nose ring as she reads this morning’s conversation. Her expression remains fairly blank.

“So what? Someone gave her flowers?” She says with a shrug, still holding the phone in her hand. Rangi can see that she opened the photo Kyoshi sent her, the blazing orange flowers bright against the muted background of Kyoshi’s classroom.

“Yeah, someone who is not me!” Rangi exhales in frustration. “She got flowers from some random man on the street before she got some from me. What kind of girlfriend am I?”

Rangi runs her hands up over her face and into her hair, patting back the loose strands.

Kirima hums and lifts the phone up to her face again. She starts to move her finger across the screen, trying to scroll through the text message thread. Panic flares in Rangi’s chest and she jumps up and swipes her phone back.

“Hey!” Rangi yells.

“What! I didn’t do anything!” Kirima puts on her best innocent look for a moment, but she can’t stop the mischievous grin that takes over immediately after. It’s too natural for her to suppress.

“That’s so unprofessional,” Rangi mumbles as she locks her phone and places it face down on her desk.

“Don’t worry I won’t tell anyone about your secret texts,” Kirima says in a singsong voice.

Rangi flushes, even though she knows there is nothing that Kirima would have seen. “Just forget it.” She turns her chair back around to face her desk.

“Okay, okay hothead, come here.” She places her hands on Rangi’s chair and spins her back around again to face her before continuing. “Are you jealous that your girl got flowers from someone else? Or are you just feeling insecure about your ability to romance her?”

Rangi pauses a moment before answering, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

“Both, I suppose.” She says with a scowl, both shocked and annoyed at her own feelings.

She also does not want to be having this conversation with Kirima, considering she is the one who introduced Rangi to Kyoshi in the first place.

_(It was the end of the work day, finally. To make things even better, it was Friday. Kirima was walking Rangi out of the building, talking her ear off about how awful her meeting with Koulin went. Rangi was only half listening, more focused on getting to her car and heading home for some much needed alone time. But Kirima cut herself off midsentence, distracted by someone waving to her across the parking lot. Rangi follows her line of sight to see a beige sedan with its windows down and two tall figures inside._

_“Come on, I’ll introduce you.”_

_As they approach the vehicle she can see a large man with a buzzcut sitting in the driver’s seat, drumming on the wheel as he sings along to whatever is playing on the radio. There’s a woman next to him. Rangi can see her long dark hair but her face is hidden by the man. Her hands are in her lap, covered in scars that look like lightning._

_Kirima leans a hand onto the open window and introduces Rangi as her coworker._

_“Rangi, this is my friend Wong,” Wong reaches a hand out for Rangi to shake and smiles up at her silently, “and the shy one in the passenger seat is Kyoshi.”_

_The woman leans forward so that Rangi can see her face, and Rangi has to physically make an effort to keep her face neutral. The woman -- Kyoshi -- is like a vision. Her tan skin is covered with freckles, like constellations in the sky. Her dark green eyes fall on Rangi and she smiles softly, lifting a scarred hand briefly to wave._

_Rangi clears her throat and thrusts her hands in the pockets of her dress pants. “It’s nice to meet you,” She says dumbly, not really knowing what else to say._

_Kirima turns towards her, “What are you doing right now, do you want to come get a drink with us?”_

_Rangi’s first thought is no, she wants to go home and sleep. But then she looks past Kirima and past Wong and sees Kyoshi looking at her, looking hopeful if Rangi is not mistaken. She finds herself agreeing before she can think better of it.)_

Rangi had not dated much before, besides a few short lived flings. Between her demanding job and the hours she puts into her own martial arts training and coaching others at her gym, she doesn’t have the time.

But Kyoshi brings a side out of Rangi that she hasn’t explored before with anyone else. She makes her feel safe and warm, but also gives her a strong urge to protect. Kyoshi is so trusting, so kind, so gentle. Rangi doesn’t get it, can’t relate because she’s never been someone who has been described as such.

But she wants to be, for Kyoshi. She wants to learn how to be gentle and open and tender for Kyoshi, because the woman deserves it.

“So, you gotta one up this guy.” Kirima starts. She starts pacing back and forth in Rangi’s small office. “Maybe you should get her a bigger bouquet. Have them delivered and surprise her!”

“And give that shop more business? What if the same guy delivers them? It would be like I’m trying to set them up.”

Kirima points at Rangi with a nod. “No flowers then. So what’s better than flowers?”

Rangi taps her fingers on the armrest of her chair. “Chocolates?”

Kirima shakes her head, “Can’t really get that delivered. But I think I have a better idea.”

She walks up to Rangi’s desk, rolling Rangi out of the way so she can start typing on her computer. When Rangi sees the website she’s pulling up, it clicks.

“Do you think she’ll like one of those?”

“Definitely.” The certainty in Kirima’s voice is not something Rangi can argue with. She has known Kyoshi longer. Kirima types furiously, her head blocking Rangi’s view of the computer screen.

She reaches a hand out and makes a grabbing motion in Rangi's direction. “Credit card.”

-

Kyoshi gets called down to the office during her prep period. The secretary, Mui, is standing behind her desk with the most smug face Kyoshi has ever seen the old woman wear.

“Oh no,” Kyoshi laughs, “What happened?”

It’s only then when Mui holds up the vase that Kyoshi notices it. It’s one of those bouquets of fruit she’s seen advertised on television before, late at night. Pineapples are cut into the shape of flowers and strawberries, grapes, and cantaloupe are carefully arranged around the fruit flowers.

“It’s for you!” Mui practically squeals.

“Me?” Kyoshi questions as she walks over to her desk to take the arrangement from her.

“From a secret admirer I think,” Mui winks.

Kyoshi furrows her eyebrows together. She finds the card sticking up amongst the colorful fruit. Sure enough, there is no name. Just one sentence. 

_Toss them weak ass flowers_

Kyoshi snorts, and then quickly cups a hand over her mouth and nose to muffle the noise. There's only one person who these could be from.

When she gets back upstairs, she puts the bouquet of fruit on her desk next to the flowers. She knows her students will ask a million questions when they return, but she doesn’t care. She pulls her phone out of her purse.

_**Kyoshi:** really????_

_**Kyoshi:** didn’t know you were the jealous type_

_**Rangi:** To be totally fair, Kirima helped me come up with the idea. And the message on the card._

_**Rangi:** But I’ll admit I was a little jealous._

_**Kyoshi:** i was not interested in that guy at all you know_

_**Kysohi:** nothing for you to be jealous of_

_**Rangi:** Oh I wasn’t worried about that. I was jealous that he got the chance to give you flowers before I did. I had to do something to one up him._

Kyoshi smiles to herself, thinking about how lucky she is to be with a woman like Rangi. She leans over to pluck a grape off of a skewer and into her mouth.

**Author's Note:**

> did I self-insert by making Kyoshi a teacher? yes, I honestly couldn't think of what else I would have her do. As I type this I just thought of like 5 other jobs for her but I will use those in the future I guess!
> 
> hope you enjoyed!
> 
> my tumblr is moderndaygaang


End file.
